Karen Montgomery-Moore recently graduated from the English Literature MA program at CSU and has been hired to teach CO150 and CO130. We are excited to have her!
What are you most excited about for teaching at CSU?
I love the start of school—buying school supplies, being back on campus, the energy that comes with fall semester. Similarly, I get really excited about welcoming students new to college and being a part of their foray into higher education. I love being able to be one of the instructors who students feel comfortable having conversations with, given our classes are much smaller than their lecture courses.
What do you like most about teaching in general?
I love working with students on their writing individually, and watching them dig in—both in class and one-on-one– when pushed to more clearly articulate their thinking. Seeing their confidence deepen as they meet new challenges over the course of the semester is always gratifying.
“I deeply value empathy, and try to lead with that in mind, as I engage with students and facilitate their engagement with each other and the material.”
How would you describe your teaching style, your philosophy?
While I’m still quite new to teaching and so my philosophy is continually in formation, I would describe myself as committed to making connections, both across disciplines, but also from the classroom to the larger world. As such, I often emphasize cultural studies in readings and discussions; students need to feel like what they are learning and thinking about isn’t just for a grade or an exam, but relates in a deeper way to the world they want to be engaged with, whether that’s in terms of a career, relationships, or society at large. I deeply value empathy, and try to lead with that in mind, as I engage with students and facilitate their engagement with each other and the material.
When you’re not working or teaching what do you like to do?
I spend my down time with family and friends, especially my husband and four-year-old son, Archer. I also read a lot, often while drinking coffee. I’m usually working my way through a television series on Netflix, and I’m making an effort to see more movies. Whenever time allows, I also like to travel and go thrifting (sometimes, but not always together).
What are you doing with your summer before you start teaching?
Reading a stack of books that piled up during the past year (my last year in graduate school)! I’m continuing to stay involved with Colorado Review, especially the social media accounts, and I’m traveling a bit: to visit family in Arkansas, to the beach in Florida, to Tucson, and of course, getting up to the mountains. I’ve also spent a significant amount of time on the train in North Lake Park (in Loveland) with Archer.
What is something most people at CSU do not know about you?
Before returning to academia, I worked for a non-profit healthcare foundation. I remain deeply interested and committed to issues surrounding health.